Figure 1: This future world map shows the location in which the Odobenus Teres will live, in the northern and northeastern edges of Eurasia, having been seperated from the other Walruses. Source: http://www.scotese.com/future.htm
Habitat
50 million years from now, the Arctic geography will be radically different, as the former locations in which the Walrus used to live will change. The Eastern Canadian Arctic where the Atlantic Walrus lives will shift north and become separated with the Pacific Walrus of the Berling Sea and Laptev Sea, with these two parts of the land moving closer together and south towards the equator due to continental drift. This results in the Odobenus Rosamarus being divided into two different species that can no longer interbreed as the habitat, climate and environment of both places are very different, causing them to adapt and evolve in different ways over the course of time. Global Warming and the movement of the plates continue to melt the ice in the former Berling and Laptev Sea areas, where the new species Odobenus Teres now lives. They have adapt to survive in the new environment, where there is an increasing amount of water and rising sea levels leading to deeper ocean floors. There will also be less ice than before for them to rest on. This means that they must become better swimmers, especially being able to dive deeper and for longer periods of time. However, the environment that they live in is similar to the future leopard seal Hydrurga valiplundersignum and the future polar bear Aquatic bear.
Figure 2: An example of the habitat that the Odobenus Teres lives in during the summer. Souce: http://enjoyengland.s3.amazonaws.com/hmepjeqlxocplpsf_cornwall03hmepjeqlxocplpsf.jpg
During the summer, the ice in the area is completely melted and the Walruses must live in the coastal regions, where the sand and rock beaches provide a very good resting ground and access to the open waters for them to scavenge for food such as future clams and other animals, close to the shore in the shallow waters. However during the winter the waters in the area will freeze solid, albeit with only a thin sheet of ice at the surface, to form ice floes. The Walruses however will not migrate as its ancestor did, instead having overcome this obstacle and adapted enough to be able to hunt effectively in the same area the whole year round.
Figure 3: An example of the habitat that the Odobenus lives in during winter. Source: http://tiger.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/beach.jpg
Behavioral Adaption
The future Walrus has now learned to not only use their tusks as weapons, but also as a helpful tool to dig shallow holes at the bottom of the ocean floor to locate and dig out hard to find food as well as use it to easily break the thin layers of ice during the winter seasons for easy access to the water. This adaption is due to the fact that it will make their hunting a lot more effective and quicker. The Walruses which learned to use their tusks this way could feed easier and has a better chance of survival by gaining an advantage against the other Walruses in getting food. This adaption was primarily to adapt to the winter seasons in the area. Since these Walruses do not migrate, they must find a way to get into the water through the ice. Those that learnt to use their tusks to break the ice and dig for food survived longer while those that did not died.
In addition, their behaviour has now changed to become more independent. Instead of staying in a large group of Walruses in a tightly packed area for protection with safety in numbers, Walruses now live apart from each other in their own small areas. This is because with the amount of natural predators they have decreasing, due to the extinction of the Polar Bears in the Arctic millions of years ago when they all drowned, and the Orca Whales being unable to reach the shallow waters which the Walruses live in the whole year round without needing to migrate, the benefits of living alone for Walruses versus in a pack now are much better, since by sharing an area with thousands of Walruses, food will be fought for in tight competition with others and some Walruses may starve. In contrast, having their own area to feed in means they will have a better chance at survival because they have no fear of not being able to find food. This adaption is also helped by the fact that there is now a lot more food scattered about in every area of the ocean floor, due to the thawing of what used to be frozen ice on top of the floor.
Structural Adaption
One of the adaption which the Walrus has gone through is the increase in size of the air sac under its throat, which allows for the Walrus to float easily and even sleep in the water. This adaption helps the Walrus because it allows for the Walrus to stay underwater for longer periods of time, which can lead to it becoming a better hunter, being able to surface less often for air when searching for food at the bottom of the ocean floor. It can also be used to avoid land predators by remaining in the sea for extended periods of time, using the throat sac to assist them and be able to float without using much energy. This is helpful because the Walruses can have an increased chance of survival if they spot a predator on land but be able to remain in the water and wait until they leave. Those that can’t avoid the predators will often be eaten and killed.
Another adaption that the Walrus has is an increase in the size of the tusks and a change in shape, as it is now not only used for a weapon but for other things as well. The tusks are now connected better to the skull with a thicker base, which prevents the tusks from becoming damaged as easily, especially when it is used as a tool. The tip of the tusks have also now changed from being a rounded cone shaped tip to becoming more of a flat screw driver shaped, with a flat surface on two sides that tapers down into a flat sharp point. This makes it more suited for the tasks that the tusks will be used for such as digging, as there will be less need for defence with them due to the decrease in the amount of predators. This adaption was a result of their need to become more versatile in the way of finding food, as they will now be able to still hunt year long in the environment as well as find food that would once have been unavailable to them.
Physiological Adaption
The Walrus will have a different skin physiology compared to its ancestor the Odobenus Rosamarus. The texture of the outer skin will be similar to that of the modern day Great White Shark. It will feature a more streamlined body with a very smooth and moderately thin layer of skin, with only a small layer of fat stored underneath it. This is because with the increasingly warmer temperatures, they will have less need for protection from the cold. The blubber that was once present is now almost gone as it is not necessary, since the temperatures are not cold enough for the Walrus to require a lot of protection with it, and with the quicker thawing of the ice and warmer waters there will be a greater area in which food for the Walrus such as clams can live. The larger diversity and amount of food will mean that the Walrus no longer has need to store fat in case of emergencies as there is an abundance of food supply. The decrease in amount of fat stored will also help them swim faster as they will have a slimmer body, along with the smoother and thinner skin. They will also now have to use up less energy to swim around, as they will weigh less and have less water resistance but retain the same muscles as before. Since the ice will be much thinner and fragile with global warming, this will mean that the lighter weight of the Walrus will allow them to live on the ice without fear of cracking it. This adaption came to be because without it, they would be far too hot and bulky in the warm weather, and would not survive well in the temperatures of the environment, possibly being unable to walk on the ice and rest without breaking it.
Figure 4: A visual masterpiece, this carefully and painstakingly hand drawn diagram shows the future Walrus and its adaptions, which helps it survive. Source: None
Modern Animal Page: Odobenus Rosamarus
Habitat
50 million years from now, the Arctic geography will be radically different, as the former locations in which the Walrus used to live will change. The Eastern Canadian Arctic where the Atlantic Walrus lives will shift north and become separated with the Pacific Walrus of the Berling Sea and Laptev Sea, with these two parts of the land moving closer together and south towards the equator due to continental drift. This results in the Odobenus Rosamarus being divided into two different species that can no longer interbreed as the habitat, climate and environment of both places are very different, causing them to adapt and evolve in different ways over the course of time. Global Warming and the movement of the plates continue to melt the ice in the former Berling and Laptev Sea areas, where the new species Odobenus Teres now lives. They have adapt to survive in the new environment, where there is an increasing amount of water and rising sea levels leading to deeper ocean floors. There will also be less ice than before for them to rest on. This means that they must become better swimmers, especially being able to dive deeper and for longer periods of time. However, the environment that they live in is similar to the future leopard seal Hydrurga valiplundersignum and the future polar bear Aquatic bear.
During the summer, the ice in the area is completely melted and the Walruses must live in the coastal regions, where the sand and rock beaches provide a very good resting ground and access to the open waters for them to scavenge for food such as future clams and other animals, close to the shore in the shallow waters. However during the winter the waters in the area will freeze solid, albeit with only a thin sheet of ice at the surface, to form ice floes. The Walruses however will not migrate as its ancestor did, instead having overcome this obstacle and adapted enough to be able to hunt effectively in the same area the whole year round.
Behavioral Adaption
The future Walrus has now learned to not only use their tusks as weapons, but also as a helpful tool to dig shallow holes at the bottom of the ocean floor to locate and dig out hard to find food as well as use it to easily break the thin layers of ice during the winter seasons for easy access to the water. This adaption is due to the fact that it will make their hunting a lot more effective and quicker. The Walruses which learned to use their tusks this way could feed easier and has a better chance of survival by gaining an advantage against the other Walruses in getting food. This adaption was primarily to adapt to the winter seasons in the area. Since these Walruses do not migrate, they must find a way to get into the water through the ice. Those that learnt to use their tusks to break the ice and dig for food survived longer while those that did not died.
In addition, their behaviour has now changed to become more independent. Instead of staying in a large group of Walruses in a tightly packed area for protection with safety in numbers, Walruses now live apart from each other in their own small areas. This is because with the amount of natural predators they have decreasing, due to the extinction of the Polar Bears in the Arctic millions of years ago when they all drowned, and the Orca Whales being unable to reach the shallow waters which the Walruses live in the whole year round without needing to migrate, the benefits of living alone for Walruses versus in a pack now are much better, since by sharing an area with thousands of Walruses, food will be fought for in tight competition with others and some Walruses may starve. In contrast, having their own area to feed in means they will have a better chance at survival because they have no fear of not being able to find food. This adaption is also helped by the fact that there is now a lot more food scattered about in every area of the ocean floor, due to the thawing of what used to be frozen ice on top of the floor.
Structural Adaption
One of the adaption which the Walrus has gone through is the increase in size of the air sac under its throat, which allows for the Walrus to float easily and even sleep in the water. This adaption helps the Walrus because it allows for the Walrus to stay underwater for longer periods of time, which can lead to it becoming a better hunter, being able to surface less often for air when searching for food at the bottom of the ocean floor. It can also be used to avoid land predators by remaining in the sea for extended periods of time, using the throat sac to assist them and be able to float without using much energy. This is helpful because the Walruses can have an increased chance of survival if they spot a predator on land but be able to remain in the water and wait until they leave. Those that can’t avoid the predators will often be eaten and killed.
Another adaption that the Walrus has is an increase in the size of the tusks and a change in shape, as it is now not only used for a weapon but for other things as well. The tusks are now connected better to the skull with a thicker base, which prevents the tusks from becoming damaged as easily, especially when it is used as a tool. The tip of the tusks have also now changed from being a rounded cone shaped tip to becoming more of a flat screw driver shaped, with a flat surface on two sides that tapers down into a flat sharp point. This makes it more suited for the tasks that the tusks will be used for such as digging, as there will be less need for defence with them due to the decrease in the amount of predators. This adaption was a result of their need to become more versatile in the way of finding food, as they will now be able to still hunt year long in the environment as well as find food that would once have been unavailable to them.
Physiological Adaption
The Walrus will have a different skin physiology compared to its ancestor the Odobenus Rosamarus. The texture of the outer skin will be similar to that of the modern day Great White Shark. It will feature a more streamlined body with a very smooth and moderately thin layer of skin, with only a small layer of fat stored underneath it. This is because with the increasingly warmer temperatures, they will have less need for protection from the cold. The blubber that was once present is now almost gone as it is not necessary, since the temperatures are not cold enough for the Walrus to require a lot of protection with it, and with the quicker thawing of the ice and warmer waters there will be a greater area in which food for the Walrus such as clams can live. The larger diversity and amount of food will mean that the Walrus no longer has need to store fat in case of emergencies as there is an abundance of food supply. The decrease in amount of fat stored will also help them swim faster as they will have a slimmer body, along with the smoother and thinner skin. They will also now have to use up less energy to swim around, as they will weigh less and have less water resistance but retain the same muscles as before. Since the ice will be much thinner and fragile with global warming, this will mean that the lighter weight of the Walrus will allow them to live on the ice without fear of cracking it. This adaption came to be because without it, they would be far too hot and bulky in the warm weather, and would not survive well in the temperatures of the environment, possibly being unable to walk on the ice and rest without breaking it.
Reference
Christopher R Scotese. (2000). This is the way the World may look 50 million years from now! Retrieved July 23, 2010, from http://www.scotese.com/future.htm
Wikipedia. (2010). Gular Skin. Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throat_sac